Sunday, August 25, 2013

Hi all, I'm taking a blogging break from now through the Labor Day Weekend. I really need to rock and roll on my MS for Escalation.

So I wish you all an advanced happy, fun, and safe holiday weekend. Stay off the streets. Lots of crazy drunk people driving around as they want to cap off the summer with a bang.

I will be visiting your blogs along the way though and saying hello. And as usual, the Lava Lamp is in charge while I'm gone. All hail Lava Lamp. And don't try to unplug Lava Lamp. He has a backup generator.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

National Tell A Joke Day: We're a bit late as August 16th was the day. But better late than never.I don't have a post to share. This time, you tell a joke, pun, laugh, groaner, or a few yuks in the comment section.C'mon, you have one in you. If you can't think of anything, Google a joke. You're up. Go!Okay, here's a primer to help get you going ...

• Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people

• Help writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, etc.)

• Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over

• Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following

• Create verbal and viral buzz

What To Do, You Ask? Simply stop by Carrie and Lee's Web sites and copy
and paste their pre-written Tweets into your Twitter account.

Or go to #W4WS on Twitter and Retweet something. You can do this once or all week long as much as you feel inspired.

Or click the W4WS Facebook Page and then share their links with your Facebook friends and writers groups. thus enabling Carrie and Lee to reach countless new people they could never before reach! If you want more information, CLICK HERE and sign up. Then check in every third Monday of each month to help support and promote a brother or sister in the Blogosphere. Simple. Easy. Powerful.

New Header: Check out my new header. Brought to by talented Tara Tyler and here latest and greatest release Pop Travel. I’m finishing up a couple of books and it’s next on my TBR list!

Awesome Inspiration: Seven year old Jane Richard returns home after losing her leg and younger brother in the Boston bombings. This is a great article about loss and hope. CLICK HERE to read it. Welcome home Jane!

Okay Folks: let's take a few moments today and during the next few days and help promote a couple of really amazing writers. And if you haven't signed up for W4WS, take a moment to do so. And as always, thanks for your support.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Hey, how about that Anti-Blogfest Gary Fest thingie earlier this week. I have to admit, I was surprised at the number of posts regarding vomit, boogers, poo, constipation, embarrassing photos, things we did while severely inebriated, and assorted usages for dead cats.

And I’m Quite Concerned a number of people expressed an interest in my Alien Abduction Blogfest, where we meet in a cornfield on Friday the 13th at midnight and be abducted by aliens, drugged, probed, then set free with a hundred abducted cows. Yes, I have serious concerns.

But hey, if there is an interest in an Alien Abduction Blogfest, I’ll set it up. Whatever floats your boat. Let me know if you want to be a co-host.

If we don't, the Japanese will.

Okay, Moving On. A month or so ago I dedicated a post to entrepreneur and visionary Elon Musk, who builds and operates companies to solve environmental, social and economic challenges. Paypal, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX highlight his resume.

On Monday, Musk took the wraps off his vision of a futuristic "Hyperloop" transport system on Monday, proposing to build a solar-powered network of crash-proof capsules that would whisk people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in half an hour.

Musk stated that if successful, would do nothing short of revolutionizing intercity transportation. But first the plan would have to overcome questions about its safety and financing.

The Hyperloop, which Musk previously described as a cross between a Concorde, rail gun and air-hockey table, would cost an estimated $6 billion to build and construction would take 7 to 10 years. Eventually, it would jettison more than 7 million people a year along one of the U.S. West Coast's busiest traffic corridors.

Sure beats the $68 billion high-speed rail project Gov. Jerry Brown of California is trying to push through. You know that number will double in no time.
To read more of the article, Click Here

Did You Know: NASA’s $1.1 billion spacecraft Juno is halfway (880 million miles) on its five-year journey to our solar system's largest planet: Jupiter. The probe is the first solar-powered spacecraft ever to visit the outer solar system.
Juno's principal goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. Specifically, Juno will:

• Determine how much water is in Jupiter's atmosphere, which helps determine which planet formation theory is correct (or if new theories are needed)

• Explore and study Jupiter's magnetosphere near the planet's poles, especially the auroras

Fun Fact: The mission is named after the goddess Juno in Greek and Roman mythology. In the myth, the god Jupiter (or Zeus, in the Greek version) used clouds to hide his acts of mischief, but his wife Juno was able to peer through the veil to see her husband's antics. Reference

Question: Did you like the Blogfest? Interested in a real live Alien Abduction Blogfest? Think Elon Musk has some amazing, awesome, and practical ideas? Will private industry have to replace government if we want to get anything intelligent accomplished? The aliens might not come if we don't move forward.

Here are my three PG-13 rated blogfests I would never join and their descriptions:

National Wormhole Day but The No-Wormholes Allowed Blogfest: This is my annual March 14th (Albert Einstein's Birthday) National Wormhole Day Blogfest. But without wormholes? The horror! The horror!

The Alien Abduction Blogfest: Meet me in the cornfield of Friday the 13th at midnight. There we will all be abducted by aliens, drugged, probed, then set free with a hundred abducted cows.
No thanks!

The Get Really Drunk and Get a Really Bad Haircut and Tattoo Blogfest: This is a three-part Blogfest. Meet at Millers Low Life Bar, get really hammered, get a really bad haircut and tattoo next door, then wake up with serious regrets.

Escalation Cover Art: I’m still looking for people to volunteer to help me announce the cover art for Escalation. I hope to have it finished in a week or so. Then we can raise it up a flagpole later in August.

Thanks to all who have volunteered so far. If you would like to help, simply leave a comment or email me at Stephen.tremp@yahoo.com

100 Amazon Reviews: My good friend Bob Sanchez, who many of you know, is celebrating his 100th review on Amazon for When Pigs Fly. That's 100 reviews!!! And I was one of them. Great job Bob! What a milestone to reach.
To can check out When Pigs Fly CLICK HERE

Attention Navy Veterans: Are there any men or women who have served in the U.S. Navy? Or do you know someone who has?
I have an incredible battle between the Seventh Fleet and China in Escalation and I’m looking for a few people to critique this particular scene for accuracy and awesomeness. Thanks in advance!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

IWSG: Like many of you, I have a new book coming out this year. Some of you have already released your latest and greatest. My latest is titled Escalation and is the third and final installment of the Chase Manhattan series.

There is so much going on with the release of a new book. The actual MS and just finding time to write the darn thing. Critique partners. Editing. Cover art. Self publish of find a publisher. Agent or no agent. Promotions. Marketing. Blog Tours.

Then there is balancing work, family, and this, that, and the other thing. Arrrghhhh!!!

Not To Worry Though: There is nothing else I would rather be doing! I'm promoting Breakthrough and Opening as well as thinking some really cool stuff to promote Escalation. One method, among many, are QR Codes.

Example: Right now I'm working with dozens of local mom and pop shops such as coffee houses, bagel houses, hotels, and other establishments where people read books. Orange County, CA currently has just over 3,000,000 people plus tourists from all over the world.

My gimmick: I will consign, or simply give them, copies of my first two books to display. Sometimes we spilt the profits. Other times they can keep it.

What I'm After: The Kindle downloads. I use a simple 8.5 X 11 display (see above image) by the cash register or at the beach where I sell paperback copies (along with business cards from VistaPrint) to display QR Codes to download my books. It's so cost effective to use Create Space to print off copies of my books for $5.00 each. It's a small price to pay to see if customers will use the QR Codes to download my books. I'll roll this out in a week or two.

What Are QR Codes: Quick Response codes. You see these everywhere. Simply download an app to read these codes for your iPhone or Android. I use Kaywa for Android. Your Smartphone uses your camera to see and recognize each unique QR Code, then take you to the Web page to buy or download said product or service (to ensure you are not downloading a virus).

This Is Only Test: Please take a moment to scan my QR Codes above (or download a respective app if you need to) and see if they take you to the Amazon Kindle page where you can download my books. Downloading is strictly optional.

Question: Do you use a QR Code? Do they work for you? Did mine work using your cell phones?

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Hi everyone, as always, thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a safe and fun weekend!

Better Late Than Never

A couple weeks ago I ordered copies of Breakthrough and Opening. I planned to sell them by the beach over the weekend. They arrived late Friday via UPS. Talk about cutting it close.

The fam and I spent the day getting fresh air and hanging around the boardwalk in Balboa Island, CA. Nothing Fancy. Just my books, an old sign I used to use at book signings, and my smiling face. I sold some books and met some very interesting people from around the world.

One guy immediately recognized the background of the cover art as Boston as he we from the area. What an easy ice breaker. And he bought a copy! It's fun when things like this happen.

Unfortunately, none of these stars are believed to have planets that could support life. Reference

Fun Fact: The closest known such planet, referred to as a ‘super earth’ is located 42 light years away. The huge planet is thought to be in the perfect place in its six-planet solar system to have liquid water, atmosphere and distinct 'days' and 'nights' - thought to be crucial life.

The huge rocky planet - seven times the size of our Earth orbits its star, at a similar distance to Earth's orbit around our Sun, so it receives a similar amount of energy from the star as the Earth receives from the Sun - increasing the probability of it being habitable. Reference

The New Dr. Who: Thanks to Old Kitty for the news on the next Dr. Who. It’s Peter Capaldi. Reference

W4WS: A reminder this month Wednesday August 21st is Writers4Writers (W4W). We will spotlight a couple amazing writers: Thanks to Old Kitty for the news on the next Dr. Who. It’s Peter Capaldi. Carrie Butler and Thanks to Old Kitty for the news on the next Dr. Who. It’s Peter Capaldi. C. Lee McKenzie.

Thanks To Everyone who helps make this monthly event a smashing success! And feel free to make mention or do a shout out for these awesome writers leading up to August 21st.
And if you haven't already done so, sign up on the Linky List below to be a part of this monthly event!